Ironing machine



M. WILLIAMS IRONING MACHINE Filed June 16, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l M %NVENTOR BY I ' ATTORNEY Nov. 24 1925. 1,563,303

L. M. WILLIAMS 1 IRONING MACHINE Filed June 16, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheep 2 i Patented Nov. 24, 1925.-

mreo sm'res I 1,563,303 PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS m. wnLmMs, or rear WA NE, INDIANA, AssIenoa T0 ran UTENSILS comranv, A CORPORATION or INDIANA.

IBONING MACHINE.

Application filed June 1a, 1923. Serial No. e45,71e.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwrs M. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ironing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in ironing machines particularly of that class in which a revolving feed roller is employedfor pressing goods to be ironed against a heated smoothing element, and the objects thereof are to provide a gear mechanism, having a controlling means for throwing the feed roller into gear, which when manually released, will permit the feed roller to move automatically out of gear, and also out of engaging relation with the smoothing element, and to provide a mechanism in connection with the feed roller by means of which the feed roller, when in operating position, will bear with more or less pressure against the smoothing element, as adjusted. I

These objects are accomplished by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective'view of an ironing machine equipped'with' the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective showing the feed roller and its support and also the adjustable mechanism by which it is caused to bear with more or less force against the smoothing member;

. Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the inner' end of the feed roller and part of the gearing for actuating the same, there being parts in section;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the head of an ironing machine including part of the gearing for actuating the feed roller, and

means for throwing the same out of gear and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the head and the transmitting gearing for the feed roller, there being parts broken away.

The characters ap caring in the description refer to parts s own in the drawings and designated thereon by corresponding characters. v

The invention, as an example, is here shown applied to an ironing machine having a stand 1 with a gear case 2 at its upper end upon which is secured. an overhang ng bracket 3 for the support of a rotating cylindrical smoothing member 4, the member being fixed upon a drive-shaft 5 that extends into the gear case. The shaft 5 1s contlnuously rotated by gearing (not shown) of any suitable character contained in the gear case which is actuated through the medium of a drive-wheel 6 in the usual manner. A driving pinion 7 is mounted upon a second drive-shaft 8 that is also actuated by the said gearing in the gear case.

Upon the front face of the gear case is a horizontally movable plate 9 through which the drive-shaft 8 extends loosely, there being an elongated slot 10 in the plate, through which the shaft extends, to permit movement of the plate relative to said driveshaft. A airof lugs 11, that extend from the face 0 the gear case adjacent the bottom and top of the plate, serve as guides to retain the plate in horizontal position. Upon the plate 9 is a fixed stud 12 that extends in parallelism with the drive-shaft 8 and has rotatably mounted thereon a pair ment to a limited extent relative to the gear 13.

On the gear case is a bracket 19 from which extends a horizontal supporting shaft 20 upon which is rotatably mounted a tilting frame comprising brackets 21 and 22 that are fixed upon the respective ends of a pipe 23, the supporting shaft 20 extending lengthwise through the pipe. The said tilting frame is also supported by means of a strut 24 that is connected at one end with a collar 25 on the pipe and at its opposite end with the stand 1.

In the'swingin frame is mounted a horizontally dispose shaft 26, upon which is fixed a feed roller 27 that is located between the brackets 21 and 22, and upon the inner end of said shaft is fixed a gear 28 that has engaging relation with the gear 14 which is mounted upon the stud 12 on the movable plate 9. When the plate 9 is in operating osition. the gear 13 meshes with the drivmg pinion 7, and as it isactuated thereby movement is imparted through the medium of the pin to the gear 14, thus causing the feed roller 27 to be actuated accordingly.

As a means to limit the downward movement of the swinging frame, a pipe 29 is pivoted to an arm 30 on the bracket 21, and a threaded rod 31 that is fixed on the strut 24 extends loosely into the pipe, there being a wing-nut on the rod and also a buffer 33 that bears against the end. of the pipe for adjustably limiting the sliding movement of the pipe on the rod.

A drag mechanism for the feed roller is arranged in connection with the swinging frame and consists of a lever 34 pivoted on the bracket 21 and provided with a pivoted shoe 35 at its upper end that frictionally engages the inner face 36 of the feed roller 27. A compression spring 37 is positioned between a lug 38 on the arm 30 and the pendant end of the lever 34 so that the shoe 35 will be held yieldingly against the inner face of the roller. Also, a threaded adjusting rod 39 extends through the lug 38 which may be turned so as to bear against the pendant end of the arm 34 and thus cause the shoe 35 to bear against the roller with more or less force according to the adjustment of the rod 39.

As a means for moving and holding the movable plate 9 into operating position a pivoted pedal 40 in the base 41 of the machine is connected by a rod 42 with a lever 43 that is pivoted on the gear case and which imparts movement to the plate 9 through the medium of an intermediate lever 44 that bears against a lug 45 on said plate. Also, a second means for moving and holding said plate in operating position, is provided by arranging a hand lever 46 so as to impart movement to the plate through the medium of a cam-bar 47 and a plunger 48 secured to or integral with the plate 9. By depressing either the pedal or v the hand lever the plate 9 is moved so that the gears 13 and 14 will be brought into engagement respectively with the driving pinion 7 and the gear 28 on the feed roller shaft.

In the operation of the invention the smoothing member is heated in the usual manner, and motion is imparted to said member and the driving pinion by the gearing in the case 2. The plate 9 is then moved into operating position by depressing either the pedal 40 or the handle 46 so that the gears 13 and 14 are brought respectively into engagement with the driving pinion and the gear on the feed roller shaft so that movement is imparted to the feed roller. In moving the gears 13 and 14 into mesh with said pinion and gear simultaneously, the provision of this pin and slot connection of the gears 13 and 14 permits articulation of the gear 14 with the gear 28 aeasos without injury to the teeth of the gears. The action of the gear 14 in driving the gear 28 also has the tendency of lifting the swinging frame, and this tendency becomes more pronounced as rotary movement of the feed roller is resisted by the drag mechanism, and therefore when the rod 39 is adjustably turned the feed roller will bear upwardly against the smoothing member with more or less force accordingly as said rod is adjusted.

\Vhen the pedal 40 is released, and the handle 46 is raised, the plate 9 is left free to move out of operating position, and owing to the weight of the swinging frame and the mechanism supported thereby, as well as the resistance of the feed roller to turning movement due to the drag mechanism, the gear '14 automatically passes out of engagement with the gear 28 causing the gear 13 and plate 9, through the medium of the stud 12, to move out of operating position.

What I claim is:

1. In an ironing machine havingasmoothing member, a gear mechanism including a driving pinion, a plate movable relative to the pinion and having a stud thereon; a pair of gears on the stud, one of which is engageable with said pinion and has limited movement relative to its companion gear; 9 a swingable frame including supporting means therefor; a feed roller movable into position to co-operate with the smoothing member supported by the frame and having a gear engageable with said companion gear; a drag mechanism on the swingable frame having engagement with the feed roller; means for varying the action of the drag mechanism on said roller; a means for limiting the downward swing of said 1 frame; and gear engaging means for moving and holding said plate in operating position.

2. In an ironing machine having a smoothing member and a head including a driving pinion, a plate movable into and out of operative position, said plate having a stud; a pair of ears rotatably mounted on the stud, one 0% which has engagement with the driving pinion when the plate is 1 in its operating position and which has limited movement relative to its companion gear; a supporting shaft projecting from the head; a swingable frame mounted upon the shaft; a feed roller supported in the frame and having a gear in connection therewith engageable with said companion gear; means to limit the. swinging movement of the frame; manually operated means. for moving said plate into its operating position; and means in operative relation with the smoothing member for actuating the swingable frame.

3. In an ironing machine having a smoothing member and a head including a 139 driving pinion; amovable gear supporting member including means for actuating the same; a pair of gears on said member, one of which is engageabie with said pinion and has actuating relation with and limited tional engagement with saidroller; a spring pressed member supporting said shoe; and means for applying pressure adjustabl y to said spring pressed member.

4, In an ironing machine including a smoothing member and a driving head hav-, ing a driving pinion; a pair of gears having limited rotative movement relative to each other, one of said gears being engageable with said pinion; a tension means in connection with. said gears for holding'said gears in normal relative positions; a rotatable feed roller movably mounted and having a gear in fixed-relation therewith and engageable with the other of said pair of gears; a friction means applied to." the feed roller so that the roller tends to move into 8 bearing contact with the smoothing member when it is rotated; and means for adjustably varying the pressure of said friction means against the roller.

5. In an ironing machine including a smoothing member and a drivin head having a driving pinion; 'a pair of gears having limited rotative movements relative to" each other, one of said gears being engages able with sa1d P1111011; a tension means in connection with said gears tending to holdsaid gears in normal relative positions; a

rotatable feed roller movably mounted and i having a gear in fixed relation therewith and engageable with the other of 'said pair of gears; and a friction means in connectionwith the movably mounted roller operable to move the roller into bearing contact with the smoothing member when it is actuated.

6. In an ironing machine including a' smoothing member and driving gear, a swingable frame; a feed roller mounted in the frame and driven by said drivin gear; a drag mechanism bearin against t roller and actuating the rame;r and means for varying the pressure of the drag mechanism against the roller 7 In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LEWIS M. WILLIAMS. 

